Various kinds of electrical connectors exist and have been used for decades to provide a removable electrical connection between various types of electrical components and devices. One such kind of removable electrical connector is known as a BNC or Bayonet Neil-Concelman connector. BNC connectors were developed many years ago and are typically used to connect coaxial (i.e., two conductor) cables, frequently in low-power, radio-frequency, and test applications, although they may be used in other applications as well.
Referring to FIG. 1, a typical BNC connector may comprise a female connector assembly 11 and a male connector assembly 13 that are designed to be engaged and disengaged with one another. The connectors are two-conductor connectors, with one of the conductors being a center conductor 23 (which mates with a female receptacle 21), and the other conductor being a center terminal 33 (which mates with a sleeve 15). In many applications, the second conductor, i.e., the center terminal 33 and sleeve 15, are grounded, although that is not necessary. The sleeve 15 of the female connector assembly 11 surrounds the female receptacle 21 and includes a pair of diametrically opposed engagement pins 17, 19 that extend radially outward from the sleeve 15. The male connector assembly 13 includes a male BNC center terminal 33 having a center conductor 23. The male connector assembly 13 also includes a locking collar 29 having a pair of slots 25, 27 that are adapted to engage the engagement pins 17, 19 on the sleeve 15 of the female connector 11 to lock the connectors 11 and 13 together.
The female and male connectors 11 and 13 can be connected and locked together by first engaging the male BNC center terminal 33 with the sleeve 15 and then rotating the locking collar 29 to the locked position. This twist-lock coupling action is a central feature of the BNC connector and allows a reliable electrical connection to be made without the danger of the female and male connectors 11 and 13 gradually working loose or becoming accidently unplugged.
While such twist-lock BNC connectors provide a convenient and reliable means for electrically connecting various electronic components and devices, they are not without their disadvantages. For example, in a conventional twist-lock BNC connector, sufficient space must be associated with the connector installation to allow the user's thumb and forefinger to push-on the male connector (e.g., 13) and then twist the locking collar (e.g., 29) to the locked position. If the BNC connector is aged or dirty, excessive friction between the locking collar and the body of the male center terminal (e.g., 33) or the sleeve (e.g., 15) of the female connector (e.g., 11) may make it difficult to twist the locking collar to the locked position, particularly if other connectors or components are located nearby. Another problem is that there is no guaranteed radial alignment between the locking collar and the cable (e.g., 31) or probe housing to which it is attached. That is, since the collar on the male connector portion is free to rotate 360.degree., no specific rotational alignment is guaranteed between the cable or probe housing and the panel to which it is attached. This can be a problem if the male BNC connector is associated with an "active" probe assembly having associated with it supplemental connectors (e.g., power or communication connectors) that need to be aligned with corresponding mating connectors adjacent the female BNC connector.
Another problem that is associated with BNC connectors used with "active" probe assemblies is that the housing or pod used to house the probe electronics is typically located at the end of the probe cable. Therefore, it is usually desirable to minimize the size of the housing or probe pod to maximize the number of probes that may be connected to the particular instrument without physical interference between adjacent probe housings. It is also generally desirable to reduce or eliminate the amount of hand soldering required to fabricate the active probe assemblies and provide supplemental connectors therefor.
Consequently, a need exists for an improved connector which solves or at least ameliorates some of the problems associated with conventional twist-lock BNC connectors, but that retains the advantages associated with such connectors. Ideally, such an improved connector should retain the ability to be locked to the female portion of the connector, but without requiring excessive manual dexterity on the part of the user and without requiring a large amount of space between the BNC connector and adjacent connectors or components. Additional utility could be achieved if the improved BNC connector could be used with conventional female BNC connectors. Still other advantages could be realized if such an improved connector would provide for a guaranteed radial alignment between the panel and the attached cable or pod housing.
A need also exists for an improved supplemental connector for providing supplemental electrical connections across a union between a mating connector pair. Such an improved supplemental connector should be compact to minimize the size of the probe pod housing and should minimize or eliminate the need for hand soldering to connect the active probe electronics to the supplemental connectors.